Lid fastening means for boxes



Aug. 23, 1938- 1. E. KOTCHAVAR ET AL 2,123,001

LID FASTENING MEANS FOR BOXES Filed July 31, 1937 d LEKoZcharaf' 1710.5110' er v Patented Aug. 23, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ira. E. Kotchavar, B

lackwell, and Harry 0.

Snouffer, Grant County, Okla.

Application July 31,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to boxes, crates or cases and particularly to fastening means for the lids of egg cases.

The general object of the invention is to provide means for fastening the lid upon egg cases which will eliminate the necessity of nailing the lid on the case each time the case is used and which will also eliminate the cost of new lids due to the fact that these lids split badly when being re-nailed so that on an average, it is not possible to use the same lid over two or three times upon an egg case.

Another object is to provide an egg case with a lid which is readily detachable but which may be latched in place against detachment or removal and in which no nails are used.

A further object is to provide means for reinforcing the lid at its edges which will also provide attaching flanges engaging with the body of the case or box.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of one side of an egg crate with the lid in place and latched.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the top or lid of the box when in place.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation of the box or case and lid with the latching means released to permit the detachment of the lid.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. '1.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, l0 designates one side wall of the box and II the lid of the box, I2 designating a batten or rail attached tothe top of the box l0, and I3 designating the vertical battens or reinforcing pieces at the ends of the box.

It is to be understood that while we shall describe the structure as being applied to one side of the box, that the opposite side of the box is constructed in precisely the same manner.

The lid l l is provided along its edge with a metallic reinforcing member [4 which has a flange l5 extending beneath the lid of the box and a plurality of lugs l6 extending over the top of the lid and having the extremities of the lugs pointed and forced into the wood of the lid. The metallic reinforcing strip l4 at the ends of the box is formed with the downwardly extending portions or lugs I! which extend down over the ends of the brace l2. Each of these depending portions I! or lugs is formed with a longitudinally 1937, Serial No. 156,780

extending slot I8, the slots being open at the edges of the lugs and both slots extending in the same direction, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. At the middle of the reinforcing strips there is formed the downwardly extending plate or lug l9 having the lateral inwardly folded flanges 20 constituting guides. The lower edge of this plate or lug I9 is formed with a slot 2| which extends upward from the lower edge of the lug I9 and then laterally, as at 22. The slot 22 opens in the same direction as the slots [8. The inturned flanges 20 terminate above the middle of the plate or lug I9 and are there formed with the outwardly extending stops 23.

Operating within the refolded flanges or guides 20 is the back 24 of a latch plate. The upper end of this back portion is downwardly folded at 25 and this front portion 25 has the laterally extending wings 25 adapted to travel over the outer faces of the inturned flanges 20.

The face of the brace or rail I2 is provided with three outwardly projecting headed pins 26 which, when the lid is in place, engage in the slots I8 and 22. Preferably, though not necessarily, these nails 26 are double-headed, as shown in Fig. 6. that is, provided with an outer head and inward of this outer head with a second head spaced from the outer head, this second head 2'! bearing against the rail or brace l2.

It is reiterated that the structure shown in the figures of the drawing for one side of the box or case is duplicated on the opposite side but inasmuch as the fastening devices for the opposite side of the box or case are precisely of the same character as those shown in the figures of the drawing, it is not believed necessary to illustrate the other side of the box and lid.

In the use of this device, assuming that the lid is removed, then when it is desired to close the box, the lid is disposed upon the top of the box or case with the lugs or extensions l1 extending down over the rail l2 and with the central nail 26 disposed in the slot 2| at its junction with the slot 22. Then the lid is shifted toward the right in Fig. 1, which will cause the other two nails 26 to pass into the inner ends of the slots I8 and cause the middle nail 26 to pass into the inner end of the angular slot 22. The latch plate 24, as shown best in Fig. 3, is

provided with the upwardly extending slot 28,

and when the pin or nail 26 is at the inner end of the slot 22, this latch plate may be moved downward, carrying the depending portion 25 over the head of the nail and carrying the slotted latch plate over the body of the nail, as shown III in Fig. 6, thus locking the lid against longitudinal movement, which would detach the lug l1 and the lug I9 from their engagement with the nails. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that when it is desired to remove the lid, the latch plate is shifted upward, thus carrying the lower edge of the plate above the corresponding nail 26 and leaving the plate free to be shifted toward the left in Figs. 1 and 3, to detach the nails from their engagement with the slots I8 and 22, and then permit the lifting of the lid directly upward.

It will be seen that we have provided means whereby a lid may be detachably held and latched in place upon the crate or box against accidental detachment and without the use of nails or other fastening devices which would tend to split the box lid. A fastening device of this character will permit the box lids to be used for a much greater length of time without displacement. Furthermore, the box lids are reinforced at their edges by the reinforcing strip I4 so that the edges of the lid are not likely to be broken.

While we have illustrated certain details of construction anda certain definite arrangement of parts, we wish it understood that minor changes may be made in this structure without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. A box or case, including a side wall and a removable lid, the lid having a plurality of depending portions extending downward over the outer face of the wall, certain of'said depending portions having longitudinally extending slots each open at one end and the slots extending in one direction, one of the depending portions: having a slot extending longitudinally and then downward and opening on the lower edge of said portion, headed pins extending out from thebody wall and adapted to be simultaneously engaged in said slots, and a latch slidingly mounted on the face of the last named depending portion and vertically shiftable thereon, the latch including a member having a vertical slot open at its lower end and engaging behind the head of the associated pin when the latch is lowered to thereby lock the lid against longitudinal movement.

2. A box, including a side wall and a removable lid, the lid at its ends having depending portions extending downward over the outer face of the wall and at its middle having adepending portion also extending down over the outer face of the wall, the depending portions at the front wall and a rear wall, the rear wall being provided with a vertically extending slot adapted to engage with the middle pin and the front wall extending downward and when the latch is lowered engaging over the head of the pin.

3. A box, including a side wall and a removable lid, the lid having depending lugs at its ends extending over the front face of the wall, the lid having a medially disposed downwardly extending lug extending over the front face of the wall and having lateral inwardly turned exterior flanges, the lower edge of said lug being formed with an upwardly and then laterally extending slot, a latch having a rear portion slid ,ingly engaged beneath the inwardly turned flanges and having a front outwardly and downwardly extending portion, the rear portion of the latch being formed at its lower edge with an upwardly extending slot, and headed pins extending outward from the body of the box at the ends and middle adapted to be engaged in said slots, the middle pin being adapted to be engaged by the slot in the latch when the latch is lowered to thus hold the lid from accidental detachment.

4. A box, including a side wall and a removable lid, a reinforcing metallic strip embracing the margin of the box lid, said striphaving depending lugs at its ends and middle, the end lugs having horizontally extending slots, each open at the edge of its corresponding lug and both slots extending in the same direction, the reinforcing strip having a medial downwardly extending lug formed with a slot extending upward from the lower edge of the lug and then laterally in the same direction as the slots in the end lugs, headed pins extending outward from the body of the box with which said slots are engageable, and a latch mounted upon the medial lug, the latch being vertically movable upon the lug and having a vertical slot engageable with the medial pin to lock the lid from longitudinal detaching movement.

IRA E. KO'ICHAVAR. HARRY O. SNOUFFER. 

